Improvement in fire-kindlers



D. W. THOMPSON.

Improvement in Fire-Kindlers.

No. 126,347. Patented April30,1872.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID W. THOMPSON, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-KINDLERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID W. THOMPSON, of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Kindler; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a transverse section.

This invention relates to a sheet-metal cylindrical or otherwiseshaped case, to be filled with brick-dust or other porous absorbent of combustible liquids, the case being perforated so as to allow the liquid to pass in as it is absorbed and pass out as it is burned, and the case being also provided with a handle secured therein in a novel manner.

Referring to the drawing, a is the perforated sheet-metal perimeter of the case, said perimeter being notched at its edges so as to enable the heads to be secured to the case by turning part of the prongs 0 down, placing the heads upon them, and then turning the remainder of the prongs down upon the heads. dis the handle, the same being a piece of wire passed centrally through the upper head, and reflexed within the case to an extent equal to the distance from the inside of one head to the inside of the other, so that the handle at the point of flexure is in contact with the lower head, and the upper end of the reflexed portion is in contact with the upper head, and the handle consequently moves neither up nor down. 0 is the filling of brick-dust or other porous absorbent, the same being placed within the case after one head is secured thereto, the other head being put in place after the insertion of the handle and filling. If the case thus prepared and filled be placed in a vessel containing oil, alcohol, or other combustible liquid, the filling will absorb the same through the orifices in the case until saturated.

When a fire is to be kindled, the case is taken out of the combustible liquid, held under the wood, and a lighted match applied to its exterior, the oil upon which will immediately ignite, and its combustion will be supported by the flow of oil from within the case outward as long as any oil is left in the filling.

I am aware that a porous ball, furnished with a handle to be used in connection with a combustible liquid as a fire-kindler, has already been patented, but the objection to this is that it is very liable to break on striking hard substances with any degree of force, and also that under the action of fire it soon cracks and breaks. My invention is much more durable than this, and equally useful.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fire-kindler, consisting essentially of a perforated metal case and a porous absorbent filling, as specified.

2. The handle 01 combined with and secured within the case a, in the manner described.

DAVID W. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

J 0s. T. K. PLANT, WM. HADAWAY. 

